Tim Antill (left) of Golder Associates, environmental consultants for our Waupisoo Pipeline project, and Deanna Weber, Environmental Engineer, Enbridge, measure water flow velocity on the North Saskatchewan River northeast of Edmonton. We will construct this portion of the Waupisoo Pipeline during the fall of 2007 to minimize impact to fish and fish habitats.

We carried out comprehensive environmental field studies in 2005 and 2006 related to fisheries, soils, wildlife, vegetation, and archeological and paleontological sites.

We planned the Waupisoo Pipeline route with great care to minimize environmental impacts. First we plotted a route that was as short and narrow as possible to reduce both costs and overall impacts to the land and communities along the route. Our priorities were to bypass known environmentally sensitive areas; reduce potential impacts on both agricultural land and Aboriginal traditional territories; minimize our footprint within caribou and moose zones, as well as the number of water and road crossings; and avoid areas where construction would be especially difficult. We worked with regulatory agencies, landowners and First Nation and Métis communities to address concerns such as soil salvage and weed management.

In advance of filing regulatory applications, we conducted comprehensive field studies during 2005 and 2006 to obtain essential environmental information about the lands where the pipeline and associated facilities are to be built. The studies covered fisheries, soils, wildlife, vegetation, and heritage resources. We also worked with First Nation and Métis communities to complete fisheries, archeological and traditional knowledge, and land use studies. The information we gathered formed part of the Conservation and Reclamation (C&R) Plan, which we submitted to Alberta Environment in 2006 and is available publicly on the Waupisoo Pipeline website.

As we move into the construction and operation phase of the project, our focus will continue to be on minimizing potential environmental impacts.

In addition to our EUB application, in order to receive regulatory approval of the Waupisoo Pipeline, Enbridge submitted environmental applications to: Alberta Environment; Alberta Sustainable Resource Development; Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture; Fisheries and Oceans Canada; and Transport Canada. In the process, we had to satisfy the requirements of the following provincial and federal acts:

ALBERTA: Public Lands Act, Pipeline Act, Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, Water Act, Historical Resources Act, Wildlife Act

CANADA: Migratory Birds Convention Act, Canadian Fisheries Act, Navigable Waters Protection Act